


A New Pace

by magicasen



Category: Hajime no Ippo | Fighting Spirit
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 15:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13033617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicasen/pseuds/magicasen
Summary: “You're not running with Takamura-san and the others.” Miyata always asked questions like they were facts.Ippo beamed. "Took a different path today! Is it okay if we do our roadwork together?”Miyata sped up.





	A New Pace

**Author's Note:**

  * For [autonomy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/autonomy/gifts).



> I fudged the timeline a bit to make this story work, so pretend that ~~Miyata never broke Ippo's heart~~ Ippo/Miyata never got scheduled and Ippo is set to take on the OPBF, which is around the early 700s in the manga! I hope you enjoy the fic!

 

It was one of _those_ days. The days where Ippo wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands and pummel a few punching bags before getting into the ring and doing the same to Coach's mitts. The days he was ready for lunges up and down the steepest hill in town. If he was allowed, he'd even get the logs and ropes out.

But he wasn't allowed, because even though today was one of _those_ days, today was also a rest day.

Rest days were for watching videos and studying his opponents, except he didn't have any matches lined up. Rest days were for getting caught up with the rest of his gym members' antics, but _they_ all had fights to prepare for, meaning Coach and Yagi were busy as well.

And even if Ippo felt ready to vibrate out of his skin with the nervous energy, he also didn't want to face being chewed out by Coach if he was sore on their one day together this week.

Light conditioning at most, but nothing that would strain his muscles.

So, roadwork it was, and just enough to warm him up. The bell above the gym door rang as he opened it, and today he turned left instead of right.

The steady pounding of the pavement beneath his feet was a small comfort. Most nights he was out like a light, but last time he found himself tossing and turning. Not after waking up panting, with unfamiliar flashes of shame and disappointment and a smirk on someone's face who'd never laugh at his boxing.

He saw a figure jogging in front of him, and it was like a light switched on.

“Miyata-kun!”

Miyata didn't spare him a glance, although he did slow his pace, and Ippo fell into step beside him.

“You're not running with Takamura-san and the others.” Miyata always asked questions like they were facts.

Ippo beamed. “Took a different path today! Is it okay if we do our roadwork together?”

Miyata sped up.

“Ah, he's so fast!” Ippo pushed his steps a bit further. Right when he pulled up beside him, Miyata put on another burst of speed.

Fifteen minutes later, they were sprinting across the bridge, and people in their cars and on their bicycles turned their heads to gawk as they raced past.

_So, this is Miyata-kun's roadwork! I shouldn't have expected less!_ Ippo felt like he was flying, and maybe this is part of why Miyata's footwork was so beautiful. His latest video had become one of Ippo's fast favorites, even if it hadn't ended in any KO. The opponent had no opportunity to land any solid punches on Miyata and became overly cautious, bordering on hesitant. Not a crowd-pleaser, but seeing Miyata effortlessly weave in and out of every half-hearted jab would make anyone who cared about the technicalities of the sport weep.

Ippo should compliment Miyata on it, and he turned his head. 

“By the way, Miyata-kun! Ah? Miyata-kun? Where'd he go?”

Ippo whirled around, only to see Miyata press the button to the vending machine a dozen meters back.

“You're really fast, Miyata-kun,” Ippo laughed as he backtracked. “Thanks for slowing down for me at the end there. I don't know how I could keep up!”

“Keep up?” Miyata stared at him, before pulling his hand down his face and shaking his head. A bead of sweat ran down his cheek. “It's not your style to keep up. You're steady as a rock.”

The praise made Ippo giddy as he searched his pockets, then twice again, feeling for any money. “Oh...”

There was a burst of cold on his forehead, and Ippo nearly let the can drop to the floor before he realized what was happening and caught it with the inside of his foot.

“Whoa!” Ippo wobbled over, but the drink that Miyata bought for him remained safe.

“You went for roadwork without any plans for hydration?” Miyata muttered, shaking his head as he took a swig of his own drink.

“Yeah, I guess I've been kind of out of it today.” Ippo opened the drink, taking a gulp. “It's a good thing you were here for me! Good thing it's just a rest day, Coach would have my head if I was like this with him. You're on a rest day too, right? But you still ran so hard!”

Miyata was so amazing. Ippo wished he could train with him all the time.

“Right,” Miyata said, frowning into his drink, and Ippo squatted, resting his forearm on his knees.

“I'm really excited to hear about your upcoming match-up!”

“It hasn't even been announced yet.”

“Well, you never disappoint!”

Miyata shifted, leaning back against the vending machine. “You'll have to keep waiting.”

“Ah...no luck with finding anything, then?”

“Money would be more helpful. There's little else that'll convince any Americans and Mexicans to agree to a match. What else could someone from a small island offer them?”

“It wasn't that long ago that Date-san was ranked #1. And we have Takamura-san,” Ippo said with a grin.

“Yes, how lucky of us that we have him to represent us.” But Miyata's faint smile echoed Ippo's. “But they're both part of another generation of boxers. Us, now? We still have to a lot to do prove ourselves to the rest of the world.”

“Yeah...” Ippo said, and joined Miyata in looking at the clear sky. “We will.”

“We will,” Miyata agreed. “But for now, I''ll wait for Dad to negotiate and work out a deal. There are people who wait for years for a shot at a world ranking.”

“If even you're having trouble getting matches...” Although whatever Miyata said, Ippo had watched all his videos several times, and could recount several of them by heart. If any of the people Miyata challenged had seen them as well, they could be reluctant to meet him in the ring.

“You haven't had many matches either, not after you abdicated the belt,” Miyata observed, and Ippo beamed.

“Yeah, but that's all because it's been a while since I've been in this position. I'll have to be the challenger instead of the champion! Coach says that we're going to start things off with Southeast Asia.”

“Hm.” Miyata frowned. “Is that a challenge?”

“No. No, not yet, at least! But soon!” The time that he got to show Miyata how he'd grown would come soon, though. Ippo could feel it to his bones.

Ippo's long-time daydreams of their fight rose to the surface again. Finally meeting Miyata in the ring again, years after their promise. A fight where he had to move forward without any hesitation, even if the slightest opening could spell the end. The idea of Miyata being on the other end of Ippo's challenge—it got Ippo's blood racing just imagining it. Miyata looked thoughtful and almost pleased, and suddenly Ippo couldn't wait anymore.

“Miyata-kun!”

Miyata startled and looked at him.

“We're on a rest day, and we can't have our fight yet, but why not try competing in something else?”

“...Something else?”

“Yeah, Takamura-san always gets like this when he's too antsy. Um, what about a fighting game? Look, there's a game center down the block there! And a convenience store, so I can withdraw some money!”

Miyata's face was blank. “A...game center?”

* * *

“I don't understand!” Miyata jabbed his stick again. “Why won't he do what I want him to?”

“Miyata-kun, you don't have to jab to move your character. You can just keep the stick in the same place and the character will move. See?”

Miyata looked doubtful of Ippo's instructions, carefully edging his joystick over. But the moment Ippo threw out an attack, he was back to jabbing the stick, trying to roll it around like he would circle an opponent. His character stuttered back and forth, throwing out a single medium punch endlessly.

So, it really was true, that Miyata had never been in a game center before, or tried out a video game...

“You're not allowed to go below the knee!” Miyata barked after Ippo crouched and delivered a low kick. “And what are you doing, using your legs like that! That's a DQ!”

_His...his mind is really all boxing..._ “Miyata-kun, people are staring...”

Miyata looked about ready to drop another 100-yen into the slot after his next loss, before Ippo stepped back, holding his hands up.

“H-how about a single-player game? I'll watch you!”

They couldn't compete against each other for much longer, or the staff would come by and reprimand them again. In the back corner, there was a machine scrolling through a preview of a top-down shooter.

It looked rather old, and that probably meant it was easier to learn? Less flashy, so even Miyata could get the hang of it.

After about a minute, it was clear that Miyata was in his zone. It was fine here if he jabbed from side-to-side to avoid the incoming bullets, his finger tapping his attack like it was on auto-pilot.

“You tried really hard! Wow! Look at your high score, you got on the leaderboard! I...chi...” Ippo accidentally pressed too many times, and input the name too early. “Oops...er, see! You're even like _ichi_! Number one Miyata-kun!” 

“There's only six names, and I'm sixth,” Miyata said. “The other five are the same person, see? This...Ta...chan?”

Miyata scowled at the screen. He was pouting. Maybe Ippo felt a little bad, but it was nothing compared to his happiness. He'd never seen Miyata so pumped up, at least, for anything other than boxing.

“I'm sure if you put your mind to it, you could beat anyone in anything!” Ippo told him.

“Hmm. Where did you learn to play videogames?”

“I didnt have that many friends growing up. So, I read manga and played videogames. Just like any ordinary kid, right?” 

Miyata mulled over that. “I see. I...was always at the boxing gym.”

Ippo winced. “Oh, but you know, when I play against Umezawa, he trounces me!”

Miyata brightened a bit at that, and Ippo laughed. Both of them were only good for boxing, after all.

* * *

After the game center, Ippo could smell food cooking from the kitchen window of a small restaurant down the block. His mouth watered, and he realized he wasn't quite ready to go back to the gym yet.

“There's lots of other ways to have some friendly competition that we'd be good at!” They weren't so “friendly” when Takamura and Aoki and Kimura were around, and even Itagaki got a manic glint in his eye sometimes. “Here, we can get some yakisoba and use their table!”

“Yakisoba,” Miyata said, gaping a bit at him, and there was a little twitch in his eye.

“You're not a fan? We can eat something else, too. How about udon? Or, uh, maybe you don't like noodles...uh, Miyata-kun?”

Ippo stretched his neck, looking around. The bell of the restaurant rang when Miyata opened the door.

“Oh, wait for me!”

* * *

Miyata's eyes were suspiciously wet. He was tracing figures on the table, mumbling to himself.

“If I squeeze an extra eight kilometers in the late afternoon, I'll meet my count. Dad doesn't need to know about this...”

“Um, how did you like it? I really like this place, they always give you a lot of meat compared to other ones!”

“You can just eat yakisoba whenever you'd like,” Miyata echoed.

“Well, I don't think I could eat it all the time even if I wanted to.”

Miyata just stared at his gleaming plate, which he'd wolfed down the contents of in about thirty seconds flat, before his shook his head.

“You said we were going to compete, somehow.” There was a fire in Miyata's eyes, like back at the game center, and Ippo nodded eagerly .

“Let's have an arm wrestling match!”

“Arm wrestling? You really think an outboxer would stand a chance against you there?”

“It's not an outboxer-inboxer thing! Itagaki's won against Aoki before. It's all about technique!”

“Technique?” Miyata echoed, and something in him changed. He shifted, placing his elbow on the table. “Okay. Let's try this your way, then.”

Ippo clasped Miyata's hand in his. His palm became slick, and his neck was growing hot. Like they were under the bright lights of a boxing ring, except Ippo wasn't calm at all. His heart beat in his chest, watching Miyata from this close.

“3, 2, 1...!”

Ippo beat Miyata within ten seconds.

“What?” Miyata's eyes flashed as he stared at his arm, flat against the table, like it'd betrayed him. “No, we're trying again.”

Ten minutes later, they were on their fifth round. 2-2, with the last one for the victory. The veins in Miyata's arms bulged, and his other hand was a fist on top of the table. Ippo's arm threatened to tremble, but he knew if he gave in then he was going down. Ippo puffed out his cheeks, and even taking a breath felt like it'd be his undoing. A little kid had walked away from his family to come watch them.

“Nnnngh!” Ippo gasped. There was a great splitting noise, and the table split down the middle. Their plates clattered to the floor, the kid ran back to his parents crying, and there was a shout from the kitchen.

The curtain to the kitchen pulled aside, and the old man stared at them, then at the table.

“What the hell are you two doing!?”

“Sorry! I'm sorry! I'll pay for it!” Ippo jumped up, clapping his hands together and bowing profusely.

“What are you saying!? You spent all your money at the game center and I paid for your food!”

* * *

“My dad will have it out for me...” Miyata shoved his fists in his pockets as they walked along the riverside.

“I'm so sorry! I was the one who was craving yakisoba, anyway!” Ippo said.

“No, we're both at fault.”

“Yeah...you know, Sendo-san told a story about how once he and his gym-mates flooded a karaoke room after he won a match.”

“Well, that's Osaka, isn't it...” Miyata said doubtfully.

“I guess it is. But at least he didn't make any little kids cry...” Ippo covered his mouth. It was too late to stop the giggles, though, and his eyes started watering. “Oh no, hahaha,” and it was getting hard to breathe now.

“Keep it together,” Miyata said, clapping Ippo on his shoulder. “We have to think...of the...the table...” He snorted loudly and pushed his fist to his mouth, trembling. Ippo doubled over; it was too late for him, now.

Miyata's laugh was as wonderful as the rest of him when he let go too, throwing his head back and laughing at the sky. People were walking around them, but Ippo didn't care as they laughed together.

When it was finally out of their system, Ippo finally straightened, still clutching his aching stomach. Miyata was blushing a bit, but his eyes were bright.

“Took your mind off of things?” he finally asked, a bit short on breath.

“Huh?”

“You said you were feeling out of it today.”

“I did, didn't I? I'm glad you remembered.” Ippo smiled, and Miyata's eyes met his for a second before he looked away. “Coach really needed me to prove that I was ready to move onto the world stage. And of course, he knows best, but...you always seem so ahead of me. Sometimes, it's nice to know we can go at the same pace.”

“Hmm.” Miyata stepped off the walkway, onto the grass on the hill. “Well, I don't intend to slow down for you.”

“I'll catch up. I'm sure of it!” Ippo grinned. “But thanks for today! It was a really fun date!”

“Hmm?”

Ippo stopped, and his entire body felt like it was heating up. “Um, did I say a really fun date? I meant, it was a really fun _day!_ ”

“Would you call what we did, a date?”

“Ha...hah, what are you saying?” Ippo scratched the back of his head. “There's no way you haven't been on one, right? Not with how handsome you are. You have so many people you could go with.”

“...Well. I'm not interested in trying this with other people,” Miyata grunted, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Um, me too! I mean, I definitely agree!”

“I want to go back and challenge that game soon,” Miyata said. “Then I could kick off that Ta-chan or whoever.”

Ippo gulped, heart pounding. “And, when you do, can I tag along?”

Miyata scratched his cheek with his finger, eyes closed. “If you want.”

Ippo couldn't believe his ears, and when Miyata he let out a loud whoop that made Miyata jump.

“Okay! Then, it's a date!”

 


End file.
